THE MOUNTAIN PREACHER 



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DAVIS 




Class V^750 
Book. 4^3 ^ /l 3 
Copyright^?- 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




J. L. DAVIS. 



mountain flmtrber 



{Being some of the experience, totd in 

the language of the people among 

whom he so successfully 

labored 



BY 

J. L. DAVIS 

The Mountain Evangelist 



F. L. ROWE, Publisher 

Cincinnati 

1909 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 


Two Copies Received 


FEB 17 WW 


Copy rig nt Entry 
CUSS «- XXc, No. 
COPY 9,* 






Copyright 

1909 

By F. L. Rowe 



INTRODUCTION. 

Dear reader, will you please be intro- 
duced to this peculiar piece of literature ? 
It is intended to enlarge our sympathies 
for the true and tried misionaries in our 
own country. Those who are able and 
willing to preach to the rich will find 
plenty of substantial sympathy. But 
those who go and labor among the desti- 
tute, depraved and uncultured often meet 
with difficulties unknown to our more 
prosperous brother. The writer of this 
sketch is personally acquainted with Bro. 
J. L. Davis and his family, having been 
with him in meetings in the mountains of 
Kentucky. His fight ha£ been hard, but 
his victories have been many and glori- 
ous. With a ready memory, a native 



6 The Mountain Preacher 

ability, splendid social powers, strong 
faith, undaunted courage and untiring 
energy, he has shown what the Word of 
God can do in the hands of "a man with- 
out an education." He is our second 
"Raccoon" of Kentucky. May God speed 
this little book, "The Mountain Evan- 
gelist," on its way to bless hundreds and 
thousands of readers. 

Thaddkus S. Hutson, 

Covington, Ind. 



Since I have been engaged in several 
meetings with Bro. Davis and have 
known him about fourteen years, it may 
not be out of place for me to say a few 
words concerning him. 

When I first met him at Somerset, Ky., 
I was much impressed with his person- 
ality. 

He and my brother George at that 
time were suffering much persecution 



The Mountain Preacher 7 

while opposing sectarianism in that sec- 
tion of the country. 

In the last few years I have been with 
Bro. Davis in meetings in the mountain 
section of Kentucky. It is wonderful 
what a great influence he has over those 
people. I was glad to be among them and 
"confirm the Word" that our brother 
preached with such great power and 
boldness. The mountain people have 
always interested me, They seem to 
enjoy hearing the preaching of the gos- 
pel more than people in other sections. 
It would do careless Christians good to 
see how they attend meeting. 

Often we started to the night meeting 
soon after eating dinner on account of 
the distance and rough roads. A meeting 
was not considered complete without the 
"day meetings" during the week. 

In the social circle Bro. Davis was 
generally "the center of attraction." The 
people hung on his words in the pulpit 
and out of.it. They sought his advice 



8 The Mountain Preacher 

concerning management of crops, do- 
mestic affairs, etc. 

As an exhorter I never have heard his 
equal. It seemed that sinners were com- 
pelled to come to Christ. 

Few men have been so successful in 
overcoming their enemies with the truth. 

This booklet ought to be helpful to 
every Christian, as it shows what can be 
accomplished by the faithful preaching of 
God's Word though it be by one who has 
had few educational advantages. 

Jno. A. Klingman. 
Sellersburg, Ind., July 20, '08. 



THE MOUNTAIN PREACHER. 

L was born near Chattanooga, Tenn., 
Jan. 5, 1865, in the time of the cruel war. 
My father went away to the war and 
never returned, so with a dear mother 
poor in this world's goods, and in a 
southern state almost torn to pieces, I 
was brought up without a father, and 
without an education. 

I came up to manhood without God 
and Hope. On April 5, 1887, I was mar- 
ried to Miss Mattie Sanders, at Shell- 
mound, Tenn. Shortly after this event I 
began to think about the future, and as 
my wife was a good Methodist and I 
knew but little about religion, I was soon 
led to seek the Lord at a mourner's 
bench; but did not find him, and was 
only confused. So I went away and al- 
most gave up to unbelief. In 1890 I 
heard the gospel in its simplicity for the 
first time. With my wife's aid I learned 
to read the New Testament. In Feb., of 



10 The Mountain Preacher 

1891, I heard a debate between a Gospel 
Preacher and a Methodist, and during 
that debate I was convinced that there 
was but one church. After that my wife 
and I read the One Book as never before. 
We had a little log-cabin 12 x 14 setting 
among the hills of Clay County, Tenn., 
and it was there that I learned "What to 
do to be saved" (Acts 16:30) and on 
May 29, 1891, I was born again (John 
3 :50), and then I began to work out my 
own salvation (Phil. 2:12). 

I went to a writing school for eight 
days and learned how to write. In May, 
1893, I made the first effort to "Preach 
the Gospel" in Pulaski County, Ky. This 
effort was a very weak one. But instead 
of becoming discouraged I continued to 
study the Word of the Lord, for He said 
"Come to Me and learn of Me" and I 
did. And He also said "If any of you 
lack wisdom, ask of God." So the good 
work went on and I lived and preached 
in Kentucky for about fifteen years. 



11 The Mountain Preacher 

In April, 1908, I moved with my family 
to the Ozark Mountains in Missouri to 
preach the Gospel to the poor. 

I pray this book may do you good. 
J. L. DAVIS. 



THE MOUNTAIN PREACHER. 

In 1889 I begin to realize that I ought 

to be saved and I begin seekin' the Lord at 
a Methodist mourner's bench, but I failed 

to receive any evidence of my bein' par- 
doned, and I left the mourner's bench 
worse confused than I ever was and in a 
worse condition. In the year 1890 I for 
the first time heerd the Gospel preached 
by a disciple of Christ sho win' what to do 
to become a Christian. By the help of 
my wife I begin to learn to read. The 
next spring, in May, 1891, I made the 
confession and was baptized for the re- 
mission of sins, and in 1893, at least from 
then, I begin to study the Scriptures, and 
in 1893, on May 3rd, Lord's Day night, 
I preached my first discourse, in Pulaski 
County, Kentucky, on the text, "Sirs, 
what must I do to be saved?" — Acts 
16 :30. From then I continued preachin' 
on from house to house and talkin' the 
Scriptures with quite a lot of opposition, 



14 The Mountain Preacher 

and in 1895 I baptized the first persons, 
and continued preachin' agin very much 
opposition through that part of the moun- N 
tins of Kentucky. 

I went out on Buck Creek near the 
mouth of Whetstone, and begin a-preach- 
in' the Gospel out there. They had a 
union house there but refused to let me 
in the house, so I went to preachin' the 
Gospel in the woods. Had several addi- 
tions, several were added to the Church 
of Christ. The opposition begin to git 
higher and higher, till finally one of the 
Trustees of the Methodist Church ac- 
cepted the Gospel under my preachin', 

then the opposition growed higher and 
higher, and finally they succeeded in 
burnin' the house down; the house was 

burned and my life threatened. 

I went from there into Whitely County 

and begin a-preachin' the Gospel in the 

open air. Had several additions. Started 

a little congregation with about thirty 

members, and built a little mission house 



The Mountain Preacher 15 

there, but the opposition was so great 
they hev taken the deed and burned it up 
and took the house away from the people 
that built it. 

From there went to Money's in the same 
county and begin a-preachin' the Gospel 

there and several accepted the Gospel, 
one was a Baptist preacher. The opposi- 
tion begin to grow mighty rapidly agin 
us, and finally they succeeded in lockin' 
us out of the house. One of the digres- 
sive preachers come with quite a mob, 
and they attempted to shoot me while I 
was preechin\ One drunk man 'tempted 
to shoot me. We then went from there 
when we seen we couldn't do no more 

good, we went to Maple Grove, bein't 
invited there by a man that was a worldly 

man. I begin preachin' the Gospel there 
in the Baptist meetin' house. Opposition 
was very great and they succeeded in 
lockin' me out there, and I jest went out 
on the creek and begin to preachin' the 
Gospel on the creek bank. One man a 



16 The Mountain Preacher 

desperado, A. Hamlin, come to my meet- 
in' to break it up, to run me off. He was 
converted afterwards and is now a 
preacher of the Gospel. I continued to 
preach there for ten years, we havm' a 
little meeting house there at Maple 
Grove. The church is growin' very 
rapidly. I jest close a meetm' there last 
month, and the man that invited me there 
ten year ago was converted and baptized. 
From there I went into Woodbine in 
the same county, and begin preachin' the 
Gospel there. They closed all the meetm' 
house doors, all the denominations closed 
their doors agin me. I went out and 
begin preachin' in the school house with 
about thirteen out to hear me. Opposi- 
tion grew rapidly and one of the deacons 
of one of the denominations, it was said, 
— I don't know fer sure whether it was 
so — hired two young men to come out 

and shoot and break up my meetin\ They 
failed to break it up, and I continued to 

preach two weeks or more and had 



The Mountain Preacher 17 

seventy-one additions. From there I 
went to Corbin, Kentucky and begin 
preachin' the Gospel in a hall, and they 
shut me out, closed the door agin me, and 
I went and hired another hall. The oppo- 
sition grew very strong and I was ordered 
to leave the town. One of the clergymen 

of the city wrote it up in the city papers, 
declarin' that I was a false teacher and 
warned all the people agin hearin' me; 

succeeded in lockiir every door against 

me and stirrin 5 up public opinion. One of 
the pastors attempted to strike me on the 
street. I continued preachin' for about 
two week, and then they sent for one of 
their able preachers to come, and he chal- 
lenged me for a public debate. We begin 
the debate with the understandin' only 
thirty minutes each, and the debate closed 
after two hours and a half's struggle for 
the truth. He made a complete failure 
and on the next mornin' took the first 
train and left the town. I continued the 
meetin' one week longer with a crowded 
hall, and several of the best citizens of the 
town were converted to the truth. So 
that was the beginnin' of the Church of 
Christ in Corbin, under great opposition. 
From there I went to Knox County 



18 ^ The Mountain Preacher 

and begin the work there, with all the 

meetin' house doors closed agin me, in 

the meetm' house yard. Opposition was 

very great. I preached about two week 

with forty-eight additions to the Church 

of Christ. The preachers got very badly 

excited. One of them come to my meet- 
in' and called me a liar right while I was 

preachin' ; notwithstandin' I preached 
right on and succeeded in establishin' the 
truth in Knox County. 

From there I think' I went to Mill 
Creek in Pulaski County, among some 
of the terriblust, roughest people that I 
most ever met. I begin to preach the 
Gospel in the school house; the opposi- 
tion begin to grow agin us, and on about 
the third night of the meetm' some wild, 
desperate men come to my meetm' and 
after bein' dismissed begin to shoot in 
the yard. Next mornin' I noticed the 
door was very badly shot up. I gained 
the confidence of one of the most desper- 
ate men of the gang, and he swore with 



The Mountain Preacher 19 

an oath that the next man that fired a gun 
while I was preachhV, that he would kill 
him. On the next mornin' his brother 
come to me ; which was a member of the 
church, and with tears in his eyes begged 
me to close the meeting for, says he, "I 
know my brother and if these men come 
back tonight and begin shootin' like they 
did las' night, that he will kill one or 
more of them, and it'll be a general fight." 
So I told him that I had announced my 
meetin' and no sech element as that 
couldn't scare me out of that. Several 
attempted to make me leave, but I refused 
to go, so on the next night we met. All 
of those desperadoes come in a-laffin' and 
talking and jest as I riz up to begin my 
sermon, in steps this man with his Win- 
chester rifle heavily loaded, takin' a seat 
near the door. I noticed the boys begun 
to look one towards the other and smile, 
but didn't say anythin'. I preached as 
never befo' to win the boys over to Christ. 
They refused to accept the Gospel, how- 



20 The Mountain Preacher 

ever, but they never fired a shot that 
night near the meetin' house, neither 
while I was continuin' the meetin' ; and 
when I dismissed the meetin' this man 
stepped out of the door and off about ten 
or fifteen steps off at the side of the road, 
with his gun in his hand. They knew 
that he was desperate and meant what he 
said, so there wasn't a gun fired. I con- 
tinued preachin' and several was con- 
vinced of the truth and accepted the Gos- 
pel. I closed the meetin' with great inter- 
est and a large crowd, and the truth was 
established in the homes and in the com- 
munity of one of the most desperate 
places in the mountins of Kentucky near x 
the great Eagle Creek battle field, where 
there has been two or three men — I dis- 
remember whether two or three, I believe 
three — were killed in the meetin' house 
yard. 

Back I went in the same county and 
begin preachin' at Walnut Grove in John 







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The Mountain Preacher 23 

Riddle's barnyard, under a nice shade, 
with all the meetin' house doors closed 
against me. The pastors of the denomi- 
nations, especially one, were very bitter 
against me, and had succeeded in poi- 
sonin' the minds of all the brethren in that 
community against me. I preached about 
ten days there with great success, several 
received the truth. I received a call from 
there to Providence, a few miles north. 
This pastor of the Christian Church, Mr. 
John Todd, were preachin' to the congre- 
gation at Providence an' poisonin' the 
minds of the people against me, and when 
he learned that I was comin', he made 
all manner of fun of me, co'mparin' me 
to a monkey, and told the brethren that if 
I preached in that house that he never 
would come again. Finally the brethren 
told him I was comin' and to announce 
the meetin', which he refused, and as he 
rode out of the community I rode in and 
begin preachin' the Gospel in the meetin' 
house with a very few people out to hear 



24 The Mountain Preacher 

me. I continued the meetin' and the peo- 
ple begin to see that I had been misrepre- 
^nted, and that the Church of Christ and 
the Christian Church were not the same, 
therefore I succeeded in gettin' them to 
get their deed that had been filed for 
record in the clerk's office, and bring it 
back to the meetin' house and changed it 
to the Church of Christ, and their church 
record was changed from the Christian 
Church to the Church of Christ ; and in 
one single day 101 confessed their faults 
one to another, and was willin' to walk by- 
faith instid of human opinion. It was a 
gran' meetin' indeed, nearly fifty from the 
world and denominations were added to 
them, makin' about 200. We continued 
the preachin' in that community for about 
seven years. 

From there we went to Bethel where 
we had been badly misrepresented, and 
begun to preach the Gospel with very few 
to hear, but we succeeded in establishin' 
the truth there with fifty-one additions. 



The Mountain Preacher 25 

From there we went to Friendship and 
begin preachin' the Gospel where this 
same pastor as above had labored hard 
to keep us out. We went there and he 
fled — Proverbs, 28 :1. We begin preach- 
in' with very few to hear us. One of the 
old elders was so poisoned agin us that 
he did not think we preached the truth, 
and he asked the liberty to stand by my 
side and would look at the Scriptures as 
I would read it. He only had to stand 
a few discourses until the old man, with 
tears in his eyes, confessed that he wa' 
wrong, that his mind had been confused 
by the modern pastors, and thus he re- 
mained my friend till his death. We suc- 
ceeded in that place in gettin' the Christ- 
ian Church to accept the name of the 
Church of Christ, as they had onct been 
known, but had departed. Opposition 
grew very high there and at the close of 
the meeting in the presence of about five 
hundred people, I stood on the Creek 
bank and preached the Gospel, several 



26 The Mountain Preacher 

made the confession there at the water, 
among ther/i were a very zealous Metho- 
dist preacher's daughter confessed her 
Saviour and was baptized for the remis- 
sion of sins. As I baptized her and led 
her tcTthe bank, I raised my hand in the 
presence of the opposition, and said "I 
thank God the first lady I baptized in the 
State of Kentucky was a sprinkled Meth- 
odist and the last one is." This caused 
considerable opposition, and before the 
meetin' was dismissed I was challenged 
for a public discussion. I accepted the 
proposition and on the follerin February 
11th we met in the Methodist meetm' 
house near this place for a public investi- 
gation. I led the affirmative for three 
days. I affirmed that the Methodist dis- 
cipline of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church taught practices and usages con- 
trary to the Bible. Mr. McA/amara, a 
thoroughbred Irishman, was my opponent 
on the occasion. I think three days the 
fight continued between light and dark- 



The Mountain Preacher 27 

ness, and the doctrines of men suffered 

and the Gospel of Christ was victorious. 
Mr. MciYtt/zzara made a complete failure. 

His brethren seen it, and afterwards said 
he was not a member of the Methodist 
Church. Notwithstanding after the de- 
bate closed I baptized another Methodist 
preacher's daughter and about fifteen 
others — most of them had been sprinkled 
— averagin' from forty to sixty-five years 
of age. Opposition begin to rise very 
great, some begin to cry one thing and 
some another. Multitude begun to be 
divided. They begun to circulate all 
kinds of stories on me. They found they 
couldn't defeat me through a public de- 
bate, and now they begin through the 
secret works of darkness. My friends 
who were very zealous when I was in the 
debate telling my Methodist friends of 
, their wrong, when I turned on them and 
told them they would have to denounce 
lodgism for we could not serve two 
masters, then they turned and joined the 



28 The Mountain Preacher 

mob that was agin me, and begin to 
threaten me with all kinds of threats. 
Finally made the threat that they would 
take my life, that I should not preach 
another sermon. I met them the day set 
for the exposure of their doctrine. They 
failed to establish any truth, but the one 
that brought the charge agin me was 
withdrawn from the church , and then in 
the follerin month I we r e preachin' near 
there, I was conductiir a series of meet- 
ings, and one of the elders invited me to 
come over, tellin' rrie at the same time 
that this opposition party had declared 
that if I come on the ground. they would 
kill me. Several of my friends had ad- 
vised me not to go, but I didn't listen to 
them, but to the text from the Apostle 
Paul which says, "Neither give place to 
the devil" that kep' ringin' upon my mind, 
and I started for Rockcastle again. 
Several of the brethren from Goochtown 
accompanied me over. When we'd got- 
ten about one mile to the meetiri' house 



The Mountain Preacher 29 

we was met — my friends assurin' me that 

this was the man that had killed a man a 

short time before that in the meetin' yard 

and he now had joined the mob and was 
there to turn me back ; that this man and 

his family had divided, there was five in 
his home, and three was for me and two 
against me. So the Scripture was ful- 
filled which says, there shall be five in one 
house divided two against three and three 
against two, and a man's foes shall be 
them of his own household. Him and his 
son had had some very heavy words, his 
son takin' his gun and told his father that 
,the first man that 'tempted to interfere 
with me that day that he would kill him, 

he didn't care who it was, and so his 
father started on a run to cut me off a 

mile before I got to the meetin' house. 

Thar I was met by about seventy-five of 

my friends and with tears in their eyes 

they begin to talk to me and tried to turn 

me back from going to this place for this 
appointment where they had threatened 



30 The Mountain Preacher 

me, insistin' there was about thirty men 

that had bound themselves almost under 
a curse that they intended to kill me if I 
come on the ground. They continued 

talkin' and tryin' to get me to turn back. 
I refused by askin' them, "Brethren, is 
there any grave-yards in this country ?" 
They said yes. "Well," I says, "we will 
go on ; I didn't want to be responsible for 
starting a new grave-yard, or for shippin' 
the dead away." I said to the driver, 
"Move on." The excitement was runnin' 
high, some of my friends got me by the 
hand and with tears — some climbin' in 
the rig — begged me to turn back ; excite- 
ment almost as great as when Paul ' 
started to Jerusalem. We got around 
about two hundred yards, and there we 
met the large crowd, and there was this 
man cursin' and swearin', and he said if 
there was any killin' that day that he 
would be in it — a most desperate charac- 
ter. When I driv round to the place, my 
friends continued to plead with me to 



The Mountain Preacher 31 

turn back. I let them know I war not of 
them that turned back. One of the breth- 
ren says, "Bro. Davis, we have come here 
to go with you to your appointment, if 

you want to go, or if you want to turn 
back we are ready to turn back with you." 
"Well" I said, "certainly I am not gom' 
to turn back, let us go, we only have 

about ten or fifteen minutes to get there," 
and so we moved. When we got near the 

place, it was right near the top of a high 
mountin, the excitement was so high 
when we got near the top and started 
around near the woods that one of my 
friends rid his horse on top of the bank 
and held his horse between me and the 
bushes, thinkin' I would be shot from 
ambush. The nearer we got to the house 
the quieter the people become, and as we 
drove up the mob were standin' in the 
front of the meetin' house yard. The 
closter we got the paler they got. That 
was a tryin' time. I looked at my driver, 
and I don't think he will ever be any paler 



32 The Mountain Preacher 

when he is no more in this world. We 
drove up within a short distance of the 
mob. I said "Turn into the fence, George. 
Tie up." We turned in, everybody dis- 
mounted as quick as possible, the largest 
crowd, I guess, that had ever gathered 
at that place. My friends was there from 
the different parts of the country, and all 

of my enemies. The enemies were filled 
with red whiskey to encourage them to 

commit their terrible crime ; but red whis- 
key seemed to lose its power, and their 
pistols failed to work, and I entered the 
house. My friends gathered at the win- 
dows and doors to keep me from bein' 
shot frim the windows. As I entered 
the house, I said, "Brethren, the Scrip- 
tures "say if any be merry let him sing 
songs. I think that we ought to be the 
happiest people on earth. Let every one 
that can sing, sing," and they sang as 
never before. I entered into the pulpit, 
begin readin' Scripture very appropriate 
to the occasion, of the mob that was 



The Mountain Preacher 33 

against the Apostle Paul as he entered 
into the great country of Philippi. After 
readin' and prayer we began our dis- 
course on the Kingdom of Light and the 
Kingdom of Darkness, from Daniel, the 
second chapter, and I did preach, as some 
said, as never before. The discourse 
lasted two hours and forty minutes. I 
preached not only for the benefit of my 
friends and those in the house, but for 
the mob that was frequently passin' up 
and down the road, filled with red whis- 
key and carryiiT big pistols. Before I 
got half through the big majority of the 
mob had disappeared and gone back 
home to report their defeat. 

A man that had attempted to shoot me 
about ■ one month before that, after we 
were dismissed follered me about one 
mile, and with tears in his eyes confessed 
his sins and asked my forgiveness, and 
with open arms I received him back as 

my friend again. This victory was so 
great that I was completely overcome. I 



34 The Mountain Preacher 

went back then to Goochtown where I 
was carryin' on a series of meetin's, 
where many of my friends follered me, 
and the good work continued. This place 
was the place I had went and had began 
the first successful meetm' one year be- 
fore, I preached at that place in the school 
house under great opposition, those that 
made light of me declarin' no Church of 
Christ would be established in that com- 
munity. So I begin preachin' the Gospel 
askin' for wisdom from on high. The 
community were 'roused to a sense of 
their duty, and an old man that lived near, 
that had four sons, three of them were 
baptized preachers, seemed to get very 
nervous and sent for one of his sons that 
was off a distance, and their preacher, to 
come and defend their craft for it was in 
danger. So I continued to preach, and 
one of his sons that had been preachin' 
for several years turned loose from the 
doctrins of men and accepted the Gospel 
of Christ, and then at a later period an- 



The Mountain Preacher 35 

other one of his boys come over with 
forty-seven others, and to-day tiiere 
stands a nice little meetm' house with a 
strong Church of Christ meetin' upon the 
first day of the week. 

From there I went to Mt. Vernon, the 
county seat of Rockcastle County. I be- 
gin preachin' the Gospel in the Christian 
Church's meetin' house. Opposition grew 
very high, some cried one thing and some 
another. They begin makin' light of me, 
the lawyers and doctors begin holdm' 
council. They begin to call it strange 
doctrine. I continued to preach on till 
the follerin Saturday night, the number 
had growed from a few to the house filled 
I give an invitation on that night for 
some one to obey the Gospel. I looked 
down the aisle and I seen an aged man 
comm' forward who had come about fifteen 
miles to obey the Gospel. Jest over his 
head a little to the right was a little bird 
flutterin' along, looked like tryin' to light 
in mid air. It came on up, the people was 



36 The Mountain Preacher • 

singin', it flew around over the organ — I 
had taken the old man by the hand and 
seated him. The little bird flew on the 
pulpit and on to my Bible, with its back 
to the audience, and flutterin' its little 
wings. The audience become confused 
and several made some foolish remarks. 
I remarked, "Ladies and gentlemen, don't 
allow the little bird to disturb you, it has 
lit on the only thing that will stand when 
the heavens and earth are' on fire." I 
had no more than made the remark when 
the little bird started toward the door, 
flyin' over the heads of the people in the 
center aisle. I supposed it had gone out 
the door, but to my astonishment in a few 
moments I seen it comin' back down the 
aisle on the other side. One of my great- 
est opposers had been takin' notes. His 
, wife was bitterly opposed to me. She 
was president of the Ladies' Aid Society 
and hated me because I told her the truth, 
and would not allow the use of the organ 
in the worship. The little bird lit on the 




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The Mountain Preacher 39 

old man's head, he raised his hand and 
gentely touched it, and it went the second 
time to my Bible and lit, and begin 
flutterin' as it did before. By that time 
the song had almost ceased. People was 
gettin' very nervous, several women al- 
most fainted. I asked the audience to 
take their seats, but I never seen the little 
bird no more. 

On the next night forty odd men and 
women expressed their desires to stand 
for the Church of Christ, and turned 
loose the doctrines and commandments of 
men. I closed the meetin' on account of 
other engagements and went away; but 
before I could get back to this place again 
the interest had gone down. They had 
hired them a little pastor at a stipu- 
lated salary, who poisoned the minds of 
the people agin me, later brought re- 
proach upon the church and upon himself , 
and went away in disgrace. When I 
couldn't get their house no more to 
preach in, I went down east of there and 



40 The Mountain Preacher 

begin preachin' the Gospel on the Creek 
in the valley, and continued there for. 
about two weeks, succeeded in havm' 
sixty-one additions, bandin' together 
sixty-one men and women for the Church 
of Christ. Opposition run very high, and 
finally they succeeded in takin' the house 
from us. By this time the Christian 
Church at Mt. Vernon had begun to send 
men out on the other side of the town to 
preach and try to overcome my influence 
over there. After they had made a com- 
plete failure, I went over and begin 
preachin' the Gospel in the school house. 
The result was that directly the house 
wouldn't hold the people. I preached two 
weeks under great opposition, and suc- 
ceeded in establishin' a church with forty 
members. We begin at once to build a 
new house. 

From there I went to Shiloh on the 
edge of Whitley County, and when I rid 
up in the school house yard I noticed the 



The Mountain Preacher 41 

trees, the bark was shot off of them all 
around the meetin' ground. It looked 
more like a battle-field than it did like 
where people worshiped God. I began 
w r ith few out to hear me. The boys with 
big pistols on them walked about the 
house and talked to their girls while I was 
preachin'. As they seen they couldn't 
disturb me that way, they walked out of 
the house and begin beatiiT and poundin' 
the wall near where I was standing and I 
'spose thought they would soon see a 
preacher runnin'. But to their great as- 
tonishm<?7^ I helt the fort, and preached 
on as though nothin' had happened. I 
called for a hymn to close my discourse, 
and as the people were standin' singin' 
the young men rushed into the door. 
After the hymn I asked all to be seated as 
could and I begin to talk to the young 

men quietly and gentely, and on the next 
return there, instid of havin' so many big 
pistols, they met me and shuck hands 
with me and begin to assist me in the 



42 The Mountain Preacher 

meetin' by singing givin' the best of 'ten- 
tion, and on my next trip the crowd was 
so great we couldn't get in the school 
house, and after buildin' an arbor we 
begin preachin' the Gospel, and several of 
them was led to Christ. They found in- 
stid of my abusin' them, I talked to them 
kindly, and thus they become my friends 
instid of my enemies ; learnin' that I was 
a common man and that Jesus was a com- 
mon Master, they become obedient to the 
Gospel, and today some of them are con- 
tends for the faith. 

From there I disremember just where 
I went — to Cumbling Falls Station, I 
think, where I had once preached a few 
times. Quite a lot of excitement when I 
got there. The train left me on the day 
I was to began. The secret orders and 
denominations had combined their forces 
against me. I failed to git there at the 
time appointed. They had began ah op- 
position meetin' in the town tryin' to 
hold the people. When I got there the 



- The Mountain Preacher 43 

next day they had began their meetin' 
on the edge of the town, and our meetin' 
house was about two miles up on the hill. 
The preacher had made several assertions 
in reference to me not comin', and that he 
was go in' to continue the meetin'. When 
I got there, instid of goin' on up to the 
meetin' house where I was to began, I 
went to his meetin'. I seen from his ges- 
tures that he was a secret order man, and 
so I remembered that when I enter into 
a strong man's house, I must first bind 
the strong man's hands, and knowin' that 
with all the secret orders and denomina- 
tions with him against me, that it would 
be a great fight between light and dark- 
ness. So I taken a seat and listen at him, 
and when he got through he never asked 
whether I had anything to say, but just 
as he said Amen and dismissed, I called 
the attention and announced on the next 
night, the Lord willin', I would begin 
preachin' the Gospel on the hill in the 
meetin' house, and those who wished to 



44 The Mountain Preacher 

hear the Gospel in its plain and simplicity 
to come up the hill. I turned and put on 
my overcoat, and as I did the pastor was 
brought around to be introduced. I 
reached ont and give him the strong grip 
of the lion's paw. He answered it back 
and smiled, and said, "Why, Bro. Davis, 
I am certainly glad to meet you, We 
both stand on the square now." I walked 
down the aisle shakin' hands with my 
friends on the right hand and on the left. 
I had no more time with the pastor for 
I knowed he remembered his obligations 
on his knees before the altar, that he 
would say nothin' before his fellow- 
craft's face or behind his back that would 
offend him. So I moved towards the 
door, and I had only get ten or fifteen 
steps from the door when I heerd the 
noise of some one comin' fast after me. 
Turnin' I saw the pastor with his grip in 
his hand. He run up near and said "Bro. 
Davis, where do you belong?" I suppose 



The Mountain Preacher 45 

he meant where was the Lodge that I 
belonged to, but I said "I belong at 
Woodbine," that is I meant that I lived 
there. Then I knew, in order for me to 
become all things unto him, that I must 
do the talking and I begin the talk. I 
asked where his membership was ; he 
soon told me. I asked him how many 
members, how strong the lodge was, and 
how many degrees could they give there ? 
He told me, and invited me sometime to 
stop and give the lodge a call. We parted 
in a few moments, and on the next day I 
went down on the mountin, gettin' ready 
for my meetin'. He went over to the 
town and begin to tell the people of what 
craft that I belonged to, and declared that 
I was a high standin' Mason. So I begin 
preachin' the Gospel upon the mountins, 
and as Jesus said, "If I be lifted up I 
draw all men unto me," I did that with 
all the power that was in me, and in a few 
nights his audience had run down very 
small and he closed his meetin' and went 



46 The Mountain Preacher 

away. The crowd increased upon the 
hill, and we succeeded in the conversion 
of several men and women. In about 
two years later I were called to that place 
to show why men and women ought not 
belong to nothin' but the Church of 
Christ. The pastor had fled, but after I 
had gone he come in and tried to confuse 
the minds of the people, but to no avail. 
On the day set for me to show why men 
and women ought to belong to the 
Church of Christ, the excitement was 
runnin' very high. My life was threat-, 
ened, men swore that they would shoot 
me. My brethren, some of them, seemed 
very nervous, and they had so arranged 
that if they was to attempt to assassinate 
me that the sisters was to surround me, 
form a chain guard around me. On the 
hour set the people begin to come from 
miles. That was the worst attempt that 
ever I saw. On the hour set I went into 
the stand and read the Scriptures and 
read the follerin text: Luke 12:2, 3, 4: 



The Mountain Preacher 47 

"For there is nothin' covered, that shall 
not be revealed; neither hid, that shall 
not be known. Therefore, whatsoever ye 
have spoken in darkness shall be heard -n 
the light ; and that which ye have spoken 
in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed 
upon the housetops." So I begin to make 
known these wonderful truths. I let the 
men and women know — they seemed to 
be very nervous ; it was thought not less 
than fifty guns was in the house ; I said, 
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to-day 
to tell you the reason of the hope that is 
in me ; with God's Word in my hand, for 
your own good to tell you that if you 
want to be saved that you must have no 
fellowship with the unfruitful works o^ 
darkness." They seemed very nervous ; 
I could hardly keep the order for a while. 
And as I proceeded they were one oi the 
mostterriblest looking woman that I ever 
seen come into the meetin'. She had been 
seen in the mornin' near the meetin' 



48 The Mountain Preacher 

house in company with one of the Secret 
Order men talkin' ; she was the most 
filthiest awful lookin' woman I ever seen. 
The man she talked to come in just ahead 
of her and taken his seat, and in a few 
moments she come in, very dirty and with 
very few clothes on her, and walked 
briskly right up to me as I stood in the 
stand in the very heighth of my discourse, 
and said "Mister, don't you believe that 
peoples is warned of when they are gom' 
to die. I have come for you to tell me. 
I don't want to die before I get home !" 
I said, "I have a very important subject 
here under discussion, and I don't wish 
to be disturbed. Please take a seat and 
when I am through I will talk to you 
about dyin'." The sisters made room 
and seated her, but none of them set very 
clost to her, for she looked as if she 
would almost defile even the meetin' 
house by sittin' on the seat. She might 
have been drunk. I continued to dis- 
course. Directly I noticed the man that 



The Mountain Preacher 49 

had come in jest ahead of her riz up and 
walk out, and in a few moments she riz 
up and started to-wards the door. When 
she got out in the yard the excitement 
got very high. Some of my friends went 
ont and ordered her to leave. She de- 
clared she was goin' to begin screaming 
and one man told her ef she did he'd kill 
her. One of my friends, a young man, 
ran for his wagon and brought it up in a 
hurry, put her into it and drove her, as 
hard as his team would go, for about one 
mile, aw r ay into the forest, and dropped 
her at the side of the road as a man 
would a cat that he didn't need about his 
home, then hurried back to the scene to 
haul off more men or women, either dead 
or alive, for the threats by this time was 
runnin' very high. As I seen the audi- 
ence began to get very nervous, especially 
those who was bound by the yoke of 
bondage, I said "Ladies and gentlemen, I 
want you to understand that I am a can- 
didate for assassination, if it takes that to 



50 The Mountain Preacher 

establish the truth in this community." 
They become very nervous and looked at 
each other, still havin' their eyes on me in 
the stand, and set quiet. I closed my dis- 
course, and said "Now if there is a man 
in this audience that can take the Bible 
and show that God is the author of these 
institutions, I will submit and say no 
more. But if you can't, you must submit 
and forever hold your peace. One poor 
fellow riz up, a former convert of the 
Rev. Russell of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. 
He riz in the audience very pale and 
trembling and said he had a few words to 
say. I said "All right, if you kin show 
that I am wrong, I will submit and the 
fight will stop, if you kin show by the 
Bible that I am wrong." I told him to 
come forward, and he begin. He got 
very nervous, not touchin' the subject at 
all, and I called upon the audience if they 
could explain what that I had said in ref- 
erence to any one that might try to prove 
I were wrong. Then I says to him, I 







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The Mountain Preacher 53 

says "Give us verse and chapter for your 
human organization or take your seat/' 
He said "I was jest tryin' to tell you what 
Job said/' I says "Are you so excited 
that you can't tell Solomon from Job? 
You are readin' in Proverbs." He got 
very nervous and started walkin' back- 
wards and fell off the rostrum, and as he 
riz he started to-ward the door, forgettin' 
his hat, and I ordered one of the brethren 
to take his hat to him, and he made his 
escape. I said, "If there is another one 
that wishes to attempt to prove by the 
Scriptures that I am wrong to-day, now 
is your time." Several got up and left 
the house. I continued the services and 
the next day several made the good con- 
fession, Two young men denounced 
lodgism and is now members of the 
Church of Christ. 

From there I went to Sloan's Valley 
and begin to preach the Gospel, called 
together a small congregation there, and 
those when they heard that I was opposed 



54 The Mountain Preacher 

to the secret works of darkness, they got 
very nervous. Some didn't want me to 
come while others did, so finally I preach- 
ed the Gospel to them and showed why 
they should belong to the Church of 
Christ and that only. Excitement run 
very high, and some threatened that they 
would take me out and hang me. So 
when the day was set for me to get there, 
they was divided among themselves. I 
went and when I got there one young 
man had started with his gun, and swore, 
with an oath, that the first one that inter- 
fered with my preachm' would get killed. 
I went and one of my friends was so 
overcome that he was almost throwed 
into a fit, but I preached and the people 
accepted the truth. Some of them fought 
me } while others says "These things are 
so," and so under great opposition we 
succeeded in callin' together a congrega- 
tion at that place against the doctrines 
of men. I turned back to my home, went 
back agin into the mountins among the 



The Mountain Preacher 55 

poorer people, and begin to try and learn 
them the way of truth and holiness. 

From there I went to Laurel County 
and there met great opposition, and they 
closed their doors agin me. I rid up and 
the meetm' house was locked and I 
preached out in the yard. I begin to sow 
the seed of the Gospel in that community, 
and several people accepted the Gospel, 
among the number was their pastor and 
thus today is preachm' the Word. All of 
this time I was preachin' onct a month in 
Rockcastle County, where we had estab- 
lished the truth under great opposition. 
We continued to preach there at Provi- 
dence for seven years. The church 
growed very strong and to-day numbers 
about four hundred members. The ene- 
my almost seemed to git the lead in one 
place in Rockcastle County, and so I suc- 
ceeded in getting Bro. Thaddeus Hutson 
of Covington, Indiana, to help me down 
there, as one of the old brethren said that 
me and Bro. Hutson would make a team, 



56 The Mountain Preacher 

so me and him went together, and as one 
can chase a thousand, and two put ten 
thousand to flight, we went down and 
made a strong effort for the truth. One 
of the enemy rode by after we begin 
preachin' and looked to-ward me as I 
was settin' on the porch, and I spoke to 
him kindly. He cursed me with all the 
bitter oaths that the devil would inspire 
him to use, and swore that if he had had 
his gun he would have shot me. He went 
home and got his gun and passed the 
meetin' house a time or two with it. My 
friends come to me and says, "Bro. Davis 
you are goin' to be killed. They have 
said so and it looks like nothin' would 
constrain them; they are goin' to carry 
it out." They said "While you are in this 
here community, stay in at night, and of 
days don't walk close to the bushes for 
you ere liable to be shot from ambush." 
Some of them advised me to go home 
and let Bro. Hutson continue the meetin\ 
But Bro. Hutson and I continued the 



The Mountain Preacher 57 

meeting didn't listen to what our friends 
said, neither feared our enemies. The 
meetin' continued with good interest and 
succeeded in callin' together about sixty- 
five as the Church of Christ, to meet and 
worship accordin' to His divine will. Our 
enemies become quiet, some of the strong- 
est of them agin us obeyed the Gospel. 
Sence then the enemy has begin its secret 
work of darkness, and a short time ago 
one of the young brethren and his sister 
was shot down in front the door, right 
near where the mob stood that had swore 
they would kill me if I come. Notwith- 
standing the truth is continuin' to grow in 
that community. They are not all despe- 
radoes, but some of them is the best 
people that I ever met. They are the 
most easiest people to weep on account of 
their sins when convinced, but very cou- 
rageous when they are angry. 

Through our labors through the moun- 
tins of Kentucky, we have succeeded in 
callin' together five new congregations 



58 The Mountain Preacher 

and have built four new houses, and suc- 
ceeded in turnin' over several that had 
started wrong. I have preached the Gos- 
pel to these poor people under the trees, 
in their school houses and around their 
own fire-sides, and find them to be great 
Gospel subjects. 

I went back in the northeast corner of 
Whitley County, where some did not 
seem to know what the Gospel was, lots 
of 'em couldn't read, and I begin to 
preach. The opposition was runnin' very 
high, some cried one thing and some an- 
other, and the multitude was divided. 
They finally succeeded in sendin' after 
one of their preachers, their pastor, and 
him with three other pastors come and 
tried to confuse my meetm'. He come to 
my meetin' and disturbed it, callm* me 
ugly names. I were showin' where he 
was wrong, and on one occasion he 
jumped to his feet and shuck his fist in 
my face, callin' me a "wild hog." The 
only answer I give him, I turned to the 



The Mountain Preacher 59 

audience and said to 'em, "Sisters, do 
you all really think I am a hog?" They 
answered with loud cheers, clappin' their 
hands and stompin' their feet, and the 
poor pastor saw his craft had fell and sit 
down, but not to weep but to grit his 
teeth and growl. I told the audience that 
I didn't want to be disturbed by him as 
he had treated me very bad on several 
occasions, and if he was a-goin' to be 
there that night, I didn't wish to come. 
He declared that he was and would stay 
there and confuse my meetin', that I 
should not preach that dangerous doc- 
trine to the people. I said, "Then as I 
don't wish to be disturbed by him, or be 
with such a character as him at night, 
if any one will furnish me their house I 
will preach at his house to-night." And 
one man, a very dangerous man, jumped 
to his feet and said, "Mr. Davis, you kin 
preach at my house, and no man or set of 
men shall disturb you. The man that 
'tempts to disturb your meetin' to-night 



60 The Mountain Preacher 

will never disturb it no more." He had 
two heavy guns on him. I thanked him 
for his house and thought of the Scrip- 
ture, to make friends with Mammon, for 
when you are cast out they will take you 
in. And as I was arrangin' to go to his 
house, the pastor said if I would come 
back the next day and hear him show 
people how bad I was, that he would stay 
away that night, so I told him I would 
certainly do that ; if I was not in har- 
mony with the Scriptures I would cer- 
tainly get in harmony, and I would come 
back and hear him. But he requested 
that I should not speak in the meetin' on 
the next day. So that night I had a 
young man with me assistin' me in the 
meetin\ After everything had got quiet- 
ly at the place where we were stayin' all 
night, I said to the young man "Tomor- 
row is goin' to be the greatest persecution 
and no tellin' what thev will attempt to 
do with me tomorrow, so you slip quietly 
to the barn, get out your horse, saddle 



The Mountain Preacher 61 

him and you go about fifteen miles to 
where my friends is, and tell them of the 
great persecution at this place. Go with 
all speed, consult no man by the wayside, 
and get back here in the mornin , before 
the sun shines." He immediately went 
quietly to the barn, got his horse and 
started away. The excitement was run- 
nin' very high, they were threatenin' to 
take me out of the house and mob me. 
So on the next day with my friends and 
my enemies and four preachers, of two 
denominations, we met at the house to 
hear what dangerous doctrine that I was 
preachin' exposed. The preacher got 
into the stand and personated me one 
hundred and nine times, called me very 
bad names. He had with him a young 
lawyer to read Webster's Unabridged 
Dictionary to show that I was wrong. 
So the preacher proceeded to prove that 
it was right to preach for a stipulated 
salary, to take wages. He 'tempted to 
quote the Scriptures where Paul said in 



62 The Mountain Preacher 

II. Corinthians, "I robbed other churches, 
takin' wages of them, to do you service." 
He tried to find this passage in I. Corin- 
thians and made a failure, and told the 
brethren to be patient, that he would find 
it. Moments seemed to be almost min- 
utes, and minutes begin to feel like hours. 
Two of the pastors was settin' one on 
each side of me, and as they had tole the 
people that I was preachm' false doc- 
trines, I jest wanted to show them how 
little of the Scriptures they knew, and I 
opened my Bible, not bein' allowed to 
speak, and I held my finger on a certain 
verse of a certain chapter and reached it 
over to him, and he hollered out to his 
pastor, or Boss in the stand that seemed 
to be rulin' with a rod of iron, jest where 
he could find that verse. The pastor 
turned immediately to the verse, sayin' 
"Yes/' as though he knew that was it, 
and when he turned to it his face turned 
red an' he said, "No, brother, that's not 
it." Then I turned immediatelv to the 



The Mountain Preacher 63 

gentleman on the other side of me and 
put my finger on another verse in another 
chapter, and he cried out to his lord, 
"that can be found in a certain chapter in 
a certain verse." He said "Yes," and 
turnin' to that said, "No, that't not it." 
The pastor settin in front of me seen 
what I was doin' called to him to hand 
his book to him, he could find it. He 
taken the book down and searched it very 
clostly, but to the astonishment of the 
audience all the pastors were in confu- 
sion, not one of them could find it, — but 
they all knew I was preachin' false doc- 
trine! but they didn't know where to 
find the scriptures. After I seen that I 
had gained a great victory over the men 
of ignorance, with my mouth sealed, I 
was settin' still rejoicing and all at onct 
the pastor who the night before had 
called me a wild hog, stepped near to me 
and said, "Brother Davis, where is that 
scripture ?" Knowin' that my mouth had 
been sealed on the evenin' before, I put 



64 The Mountain Preacher 

my hand to my mouth, showin' to him 
that he with his combined force had 
sealed my mouth and that I was not 
allowed to speak, and thus I turned my 
back upon the pastor, who in a few mo- 
ments flew into a mad fit, and I thought, 
as others did, that he was goin' to jump 
on me ; and he declared "You people are 
astonished to see such a character as him 
that can find the Scripture so readily, and 
I want to tell you the reason why he can 
find it. He is preachin' the doctrine of 
Daniel Sommer." I held my Bible high 
in my hands and pointed to the gilt letters 
which reads "Holy Bible." The people 
knowed I only brought one book and that 
I had been preachin' nothin' but what 
could be found in that book. So the mul- 
titude was divided. He continued to ask 
me then, would I leave the community, 
after admittin' the day before that after 
he would expose me and show what a 
bad character I was that he would git in 
his buggy and leave. He continued to 



The Mountain Preacher 65 

ask me, "Will you now leave this com- 
munity and stop your preachin' here?" 
1 set and listened to him a few moments, 
thinkin' he would stop after knowin' I 
\vas not allowed to speak in the house. 
Then I riz and walked very briskly to the 
door, stopping outside of the house on a 
little platform in front of the door, and 
with my Bible in my hands turned to the 
pastor and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, 
the devil never tempted Adam and Eve so 
great as this man has tempted me after 
knowin-' that he has first sealed my 
mouth. " As I begin to talk the sun was 
comin' down very heavy on the back of 
my head. A friend of mine riz and run 
out with an umbrel and held it over me, 
and I begin to talk, and as I talked the 
people cried out, "Brother Davis you 
come right in the house and defen' your- 
self, you walk right in and defen' your- 
self." I said "If those pastors are all 
willing with the lawyer that they have, 
and all else concerned, I will come in and 



66 The Mountain Preacher 

make my defense." As I went in I seen 
these pastors had a great pile of books 
piled on the stand. I begin to take 'em 
up one at a time, and I pointed to^ the 
Webster's Unabridged and the little law- 
yer, — the same as they had combined agin 
Jesus of Nazareth — and I begin to show 
sech filth as they had brought into that 
house to try to prove that I had preached 
false doctrine, or that the Bible was 
wrong, that the devil ought to be ashamed 
of himself. So I talked about ten or fif- 
teen minutes, and the meetm' broke up 
with great excitement — I disremember 
whether it was dismissed or not. Then 
they closed us out. They said "As the 
pastors won't leave and let you alone, we 
will jest simply lock the doors agin all of 
you." I said "All right, gentlemen, you 
can lock your doors agin the truth, you 
can stop your ears, but" I said, "this 
meetm* is a-gom' to continue in this com- 
munity at the risk of my life." I said 
"All them that want to hear the Gospel 




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The Mountain Preacher 69 

preached tomorrow meet me at the edge 
of the Calendar Road in the shade of the 
big beech tree." One of my friends, I 
remember, made a piece of poetry in ref- 
erence to that, beginnin' 
"Bro. Davis came down on Whetstone 

Creek, 
He said he would like to preach a week. 
The people all crowded out to see 
Him preach them a sermon under a 

big beech tree. 
Some said he give them too big a dose, 
And he turned right round and preach- 
ed to Joce." 
The meetm' .continued for several days 
and several people was lead to Christ. 
Many of those people was convinced that 
I was preachin' the truth and that the 
pastors was wrong. The pastors' influ- 
ence was hurt, my mAuence growed 
stronger every day. We closed the larg- 
est crowd that ever was met for the pur- 
pose of baptizin\ Baptized several peo- 
ple, and turned and went away from one 



70 The Mountain Preacher 

of the greatest battlefields that I had ever 
fought agin the man of sin. I returned 
back home and found that it had been 
published in the daily papers that they 
had mobbed me. Excitement was runnin' 
high. I am glad to say that while some 
of those people in their ignorance of the 
truth will oppose it, as soon as they are 
convinced they are the most willingest 
people I ever met to confess their sins. 

I returned back to Rockcastle County, 
where the excitement had previously been 
very high, and contiued to preach the 
Gospel there under great opposition. One 
of my brethren who had onct been a 
strong opposer of me, but had learned 
the truth and become obedient to the 
faith, moved away to Crab Orchard in 
Lincoln County, where John Smith got 
his ugly handle to his name — Raccoon, — 
and he wrote me he wanted me to come 
up there and preach the Gospel near the 
very place where Smith had preached 
onct. But they had gone so far away 



The Mountain Preacher 71 

from the truth and gone after the things 
of this world that they wouldn't allow 
me to have their house. He went to call 
on and ask the pastor could I preach in 
his house. He said "No/' said "I have 
heerd of that man Davis and he tears up 
churches. He preaches false doctrine. 
He can't preach in this community. I 
don't want sech stuff as that preached in 
my church. His doctrine is contrary to 
the Scriptures." The brother said to 
him, "Can you prove that it is?" He said 
he could. "All right, then I want you to 
meet him at my house" and said "I will 
give five dollars a day to meet him at my 
house to show him that the Church of 
Christ is unscriptural and that the church 
you belong to is scriptural." The pastor 
got very nervous and talked like a mad 
man, and said he had no time or pa- 
tience to fool with such a character. 
"Well" he said, "if he is wrong you ought 
to take the time and get him started right, 
because I used to belong to your church 



72 The Mountain Preacher 

and left it 'cause he showed me you was 
wrong, and if he is wrong you should 
prove it to him." He said he had no 
time. The brother he said "I'll make it 
worth your time by adding five dollars 
and make it ten dollars a day to have a 
public debate and show him that he's 
wrong." That most made the pastor 
order him out of the house. My friend 
then went away and tried to get a grove 
for me to preach in, but it did not seem 
they wanted such preachin' on their land. 
So you can see that where the Gospel 
onct was preached, and where hundreds 
of people accepted it, that to-day they 
have got so far away from the Gospel 
when they hear the truth they cry out 
"strange doctrine." 

Notwithstandin , that in the beginnin' 
of my preachin' a little over fourteen 
years ago, I could scarcely read, and only 
findin' in the mountins of Kentucky a 
very few disciples, and being poor in this 
world's goods, with all these disadvan- 



The Mountain Preacher 73 

tages I began the work, and to-day I can 
glance back over the work and see over 
1200 persons have been led to Christ, and 
the truth has been heerd through the 
mountins of Kentucky, and many hearts 
are rejoicin'. I onct numbered my 
friends in the country by the few, but 
now they are numbered by the hundreds. 
Some of my preachin' brethren said — 
two of them on one occasion — "Davis, if 
you preach such doctrine as that in this 
country, and fight the stipulated salary 
and fight the entertainments in the meet- 
in'' house to raise money for the support 
of the Gospel, you won't have decent 
clothes to wear out to meetin' ; your wife 
will have to patch your clothes, and you 
will come to nothin\" I said "Gentle- 
men, don't try to skeer me with poverty, 
I am acquainted with him. I have been a 
orphan boy knocked about from place to 
place, and I can't be skeered by such as 
that. The only way to convince me that 
I am wrong is to show me that God has 



74 The Mountain Preacher 

not authorized it." That pastor then had 
a nice home, and in less than ten years he 
was livin' in a rented houses without any 
vrAuence, and I owned a nice little farm 
* that I call "My Old Kentucky Home," 
and my friends was numbered by the 
thousands, and I had preached the Gos- 
pel in eight states. My calls was so 
great that I couldn't fill half of them. 
So to God be all the praise ! I knew that 
I were ignorant and unlearned, but the 
Scriptures say that "if any man lack wis- 
dom, let him ask of God, who giveth to 
all men liberally and upbraideth not." 
And Jesus has said, "Come and learn of 
me," and Paul said to study; so I begin 
searchin' the Scriptures day and night, 
and the result is God has wonderfully 
blessed the labor, and I am rejoicin' to 
know that "God has chose the weak 
things of the world to confound the 
things which are mighty; and base 
things of the world, and things which are 
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and 



The Mountain Preacher 



75 



things which are not, to bring to nought 
things that are. That no flesh should 
glory in his presence." (I. Corinthians, 
1:27, 28, 29.) 




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021 064 029 



